Militants march to protest labor export program
MANILA, Philippines — Migrant rights advocates joined leftist activists in a march near Malacaňang on Tuesday to protest the intensified labor exportation under the Arroyo administration.
Migrante International chapters abroad also launched various forms of protest actions.
Joining the protest at Mendiola were Migrante members, along with Gabriela, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Anakbayan, Kadamay, among other sectoral organizations.
“March 17 is considered a significant historical event depicting the real plight of overseas Filipino workers that undeniably continue to worsen due to Arroyo’s administration’s neglect and unparalleled disservice to OFWs despite being hailed as ‘Modern Heroes,’" a press statement issued by Migrante said.
Migrant workers’ contribution in remittances hit a new record of US$16.8 billion in 2008 that keeps the local economy afloat and greatly contributed to the country’s dollar reserves.
"That makes OFWs ‘Modern Heroes’ in the eyes and minds of the past administrations including the present most-corrupt and most anti-OFW Arroyo administration," Migrante said.
Migrante chapters in the Middle East, meanwhile, said calling OFWs “bagong bayani" or “modern heroes" does not make sense to OFWs and families because of the alleged neglect they get from the government “for not formulating genuine policies and programs that would advance and protect OFWs rights and welfare."
Migrante-Middle East cited the numerous cases of distressed OFWs due to maltreatment, unfair labor practices, and sexual abuses; the recorded 10 mysterious deaths of OFWs in the Middle East early this year, the increasing numbers of runaways in Saudi Arabia now numbering more than 250; the reported 300 OFWs in Libya living and working under harsh conditions; the increasing numbers of jailed OFWs including the 7 OFWs jailed in Maldives and the 26 OFWs facing death in the Middle East.
“All these tell us one thing: Arroyo administration’s gross disregard to protect OFWs, and this is tantamount to criminal neglect!," the group said in a press statement.
Migrante also slammed government officials for carrying out “anti-OFW policies" such as the implementation of a codified OWWA Omnibus policies that phased out almost all welfare programs previously available to OFWs and families.
These include the family loan assistance, the memorandum circular prescribing rules on direct hiring, OFWs and families; the guidelines on land-based recruitment and household service workers (HSWs) which Migrante said places OFWs and aspiring OFWs alike in the hands of unscrupulous recruitment agencies.
Migrante -ME likewise scored the Arroyo administration’s failure to develop the local economy into absorbing the increasing number of unemployed, whose only option now is to find work abroad.
Instead, Migrante noted, the government has intensified its labor export program, sending some 3,300 Filipino workers abroad daily and is targeting to send two million OFWs abroad yearly.
“[T]o ensure intensified labor export, it [the government] issued Administrative Order No. 247 ordering POEA [Philippine Overseas Employment Administration] to focus on marketing and finding markets for OFWs and have allotted an increased budget of nearly P500,000 for its marketing activities in its effort to boost exporting cheap labor abroad," the group said.
Misuse of OWWA Fund
Migrante-ME further accused the government of misusing the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) fund, which comes from forced contributions from OFWs.
“OWWA fund is a trust fund, the Arroyo administration has attempted and it succeeded to a few to divert the use of these funds in a form of investments and creation of task forces presumably to help distressed OFWs abroad during emergency situation and war for OFWs immediate evacuations,": the group said.
Among these alleged irregularities was the transfer of P4B OFW Medicare Fund from OWWA to Philippine Health and Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) by virtue of a secret issuance of Executive Order 182 devoid of consultations from OFWs as stakeholders of these funds
Another was the P260-million bogus claims exposed by then OWWA Administrator Virgilio Angelo, but which he used to justify the transfer of the OWWA Medicare fund.
Migrante also cited the unaudited US$293,500 money used by the Middle East Preparedness Team headed by retired Gen.Roy Cimatu during the US war of aggression to Iraq, “where repatriation of OFWs never took placed anyway under the present Arroyo administration."
It also cited the POEA’s alleged illegal granting of P40 million incentives and allowances to its officials and employees for the past three years since 2002 and allowing its executives and employees who were issued mobile phones to download about P796,000 worth of games, tones and picture messages and other unauthorized items.
Migrante further pointed to the misallocation of P1- billion in OWWA funds to its “bogus" Filipino Expatriate livelihood support program through the issuance of Administrative Order No. 248. - D'jay Lazaro, GMANews.TV
Migrante International chapters abroad also launched various forms of protest actions.
Joining the protest at Mendiola were Migrante members, along with Gabriela, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Anakbayan, Kadamay, among other sectoral organizations.
“March 17 is considered a significant historical event depicting the real plight of overseas Filipino workers that undeniably continue to worsen due to Arroyo’s administration’s neglect and unparalleled disservice to OFWs despite being hailed as ‘Modern Heroes,’" a press statement issued by Migrante said.
Migrant workers’ contribution in remittances hit a new record of US$16.8 billion in 2008 that keeps the local economy afloat and greatly contributed to the country’s dollar reserves.
"That makes OFWs ‘Modern Heroes’ in the eyes and minds of the past administrations including the present most-corrupt and most anti-OFW Arroyo administration," Migrante said.
Migrante chapters in the Middle East, meanwhile, said calling OFWs “bagong bayani" or “modern heroes" does not make sense to OFWs and families because of the alleged neglect they get from the government “for not formulating genuine policies and programs that would advance and protect OFWs rights and welfare."
Migrante-Middle East cited the numerous cases of distressed OFWs due to maltreatment, unfair labor practices, and sexual abuses; the recorded 10 mysterious deaths of OFWs in the Middle East early this year, the increasing numbers of runaways in Saudi Arabia now numbering more than 250; the reported 300 OFWs in Libya living and working under harsh conditions; the increasing numbers of jailed OFWs including the 7 OFWs jailed in Maldives and the 26 OFWs facing death in the Middle East.
“All these tell us one thing: Arroyo administration’s gross disregard to protect OFWs, and this is tantamount to criminal neglect!," the group said in a press statement.
Migrante also slammed government officials for carrying out “anti-OFW policies" such as the implementation of a codified OWWA Omnibus policies that phased out almost all welfare programs previously available to OFWs and families.
These include the family loan assistance, the memorandum circular prescribing rules on direct hiring, OFWs and families; the guidelines on land-based recruitment and household service workers (HSWs) which Migrante said places OFWs and aspiring OFWs alike in the hands of unscrupulous recruitment agencies.
Migrante -ME likewise scored the Arroyo administration’s failure to develop the local economy into absorbing the increasing number of unemployed, whose only option now is to find work abroad.
Instead, Migrante noted, the government has intensified its labor export program, sending some 3,300 Filipino workers abroad daily and is targeting to send two million OFWs abroad yearly.
“[T]o ensure intensified labor export, it [the government] issued Administrative Order No. 247 ordering POEA [Philippine Overseas Employment Administration] to focus on marketing and finding markets for OFWs and have allotted an increased budget of nearly P500,000 for its marketing activities in its effort to boost exporting cheap labor abroad," the group said.
Misuse of OWWA Fund
Migrante-ME further accused the government of misusing the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) fund, which comes from forced contributions from OFWs.
“OWWA fund is a trust fund, the Arroyo administration has attempted and it succeeded to a few to divert the use of these funds in a form of investments and creation of task forces presumably to help distressed OFWs abroad during emergency situation and war for OFWs immediate evacuations,": the group said.
Among these alleged irregularities was the transfer of P4B OFW Medicare Fund from OWWA to Philippine Health and Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) by virtue of a secret issuance of Executive Order 182 devoid of consultations from OFWs as stakeholders of these funds
Another was the P260-million bogus claims exposed by then OWWA Administrator Virgilio Angelo, but which he used to justify the transfer of the OWWA Medicare fund.
Migrante also cited the unaudited US$293,500 money used by the Middle East Preparedness Team headed by retired Gen.Roy Cimatu during the US war of aggression to Iraq, “where repatriation of OFWs never took placed anyway under the present Arroyo administration."
It also cited the POEA’s alleged illegal granting of P40 million incentives and allowances to its officials and employees for the past three years since 2002 and allowing its executives and employees who were issued mobile phones to download about P796,000 worth of games, tones and picture messages and other unauthorized items.
Migrante further pointed to the misallocation of P1- billion in OWWA funds to its “bogus" Filipino Expatriate livelihood support program through the issuance of Administrative Order No. 248. - D'jay Lazaro, GMANews.TV
Comments